Harry Cohen is the chippy left-wing MP who disgraces the Leyton parliamentary seat once held by Winston Churchill. Harry claims more for his second home and expenses than any other MP in London, in fact his annual expense claims of £123,718 are £30,000 higher than neighbouring Walthamstow Labour MP Neil Gerrard’s claim of £92,228 and greater than Chingford Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith’s allowance of £104,222.

How does this troughing MP explain his porcine ways?

“I am almost certainly the most professional MP Leyton and Wanstead has ever had, and that includes Winston Churchill.”

Neighbouring Walthamstow MP Neil Gerrard quite rightly does not claim mortgage expenses. Despite Leyton being a mere half an hour from Westminster on the Central Line tube, Harry Cohen claims the maximum tax free second home subsidy of £21,63.

The effrontery of this odious MP comparing himself to Winston Churchill is astounding. As the Guardian wittily points out:“One saved the nation. The other saves his receipts.”

GuidoFawkes Quote of the Day

“I read more bloggers now than mainstream columnists, because they’ve got more interesting things to say. Too many columnists today make you think, ‘Yeah, I think you’ve said that 10 times before and I’ve just noticed your column has not go a single fact in it’”.